US Chamber of Commerce urges major immigration push

America’s largest business lobby is urging the government to pull out all the stops and get on with passing the new immigration bill.

As immigration reform continues to stall, the president of the US Chamber of Commerce Tom Donahue is warning that the powerful business lobby will do everything it can to end the impass and get the bill passed. The move will put the Chamber firmly in the Obama camp as regards the White House’s top legislative priority.

During his annual ‘State of American Business’ address earlier this week, Donahue spoke of his determination to make 2014 the year the broken immigration system was repaired. He made the Chamber’s support for the immigration reform bill clear, and also indicated his support for Obama’s push for global trade agreements.

Businesses have been calling for the bill to be passed so that much-needed top overseas talent can be brought into the US without wasted time and bureaucratic hassle. In addition, particularly in the tech sector, a lack of prioritising of green cards for expats already employed is leading to high numbers giving up and leaving the USA for other, greener pastures.

In the southern agricultural regions, confusion about what will and will not be acceptable is giving large-scale employers severe headaches and affecting the viability of their operations. The Republican Party have been far less than cooperative and have been accused of introducing political ‘red herrings’ to delay the bill still further.